Being more profitable, cultivation of various types of spices is increasing in Rajshahi during the recent years.
According to sources, traditionally farmers of Rajshahi region used to cultivate paddy, sugarcane, potato, maize and green vegetables in their fields.
After the partition in 1947, Pakistani agriculture scientists as well as the then Pakistani government tried to encourage the farmers of erstwhile East Pakistan to cultivate wheat in their fields and wheat was also successfully produced in the northern districts of the country.
Following independence wheat was also cultivated successfully in some parts of the country. However, soon farmers of the country lost their interest to cultivate wheat. Instead, they are cultivating various spices, which are more profitable and easy to cultivate.
Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) is also encouraging the farmers by disbursing credit on only two percent interest to cultivate spices and to ease pressure of import of spices which involves a huge foreign exchange. This loan against only two percent interest to the farmers is disbursed only for cultivation of spices where the interest rate of agriculture loan is eight percent.
Abdul Razzak, farmer of Naohata in the district said, he cultivated onion on ten decimal of land and produced 25 maunds of onion there. He sold those at taka 1,000 per mounds. His total production cost is taka 10,000 for cultivating 10 Kathas of land.
Riaz Uddin, farmer of Suvipara at Paba upazila said, he cultivated turmeric on eight decimals of land and produced 20 mounds of turmeric. Market price of turmeric is taka 2,000 per mound. After earning more profit than he expected to, he decided to cultivate turmeric again on 1.5 bighas of land.
Durgapur upazila is also famous for spices cultivation. Most farmers of the upazila there are engaged in cultivation of Onion, Garlic, Green chilli and green vegetables.
Amjad Hossain of Alipur village informed, the soil of Durgapur is specially suited for cultivation of various spices. He mentioned, due to a huge demand and good profit, farmers of the upazila is getting increasingly interested in cultivating various spices in their fields. He further said, the Onion of Durgapur is famous worldwide for its special flavour, colour and very thin skin.
Meanwhile, Mohanpur upazila of the district is famous for cultivation of betel leaf. Hundreds of farmers of the upazila have become self-reliant by cultivating betel-leaf.
On the other hand, at the charland of Godagari, Paba and Bagha upazila various pulses, peanuts and spices like black-cumin, cumin, mustard, coriander, pepper and ginger are produced. Farmers on the charland cultivate the fertile land just after the receding of the water. The fertile land produces huge amounts of those crops and spices of the char villages.
Sanaullah, a retired Professor of Char Asariadaha village under Godagari upazila informed, most of the farmers of the villages have turned solvent by cultivating spices on their fertile land aftermath of the flood.
Saleh Ahmed, an Agriculture Scientist informed, farmers are earning more profit for the price hike of spices. He also said, everyone who has some free space for gardening can cultivate various kinds of spices and earn a satisfactory amount of money.
Agriculture Extension Department sources informed, this year target has been roughly fixed to cultivate garlic on 18,000 bighas of land, turmeric on 9,000 bighas, coriander on 2,700 bighas, chili on 6,000 bighas, ginger on 100 bighas and onion of 75,000 bighas of land in the district.
